GOVERNMENT'S FIRST 50 DAYS IN OFFICE PROGRESS REPORT

We asked you to vote for the Progressive National Party straight down the line on February 19th. You trusted us and did as we asked. 

Friday, April 30 marked 50 working days since you accepted the offer, we made to you by signing the contract and delivering a historic victory for the PNP, and renewed hope for your future in the promise that no Turks and Caicos Islander will be left behind. 

We are eternally grateful for all who has placed their confidence in us and to the many across the land who continue to pray for our success and that of our beloved Turks and Caicos Islands.  We thank the many others at home and abroad who wish us well and once again by the grace of Almighty God pledge our service to you and country. 

It has been a period in which we have discovered that a lot needs to be fixed - not least the restoration of public servants’ morale.  

Despite that, there are some real jewels in the service who are extremely competent and committed and can hold their own anywhere in the world. 

We are encouraged by the eagerness with which many have embraced the policies and programmes set out our Contract with you the people. 

The initial apprehension of many have been replaced by trust and I am confident that the large majority of public servants want to do a good job given the tools, recognition, and remuneration. It continues to be our intention to deliver on that promise.  

Each day my ministerial colleagues and I embrace the opportunities and challenges of leading this great country with commitment, excitement, and vigour to deliver the bold objectives set out in the contract document: A Citizen’s Contract. 

In these early days, planning has been critical. Hence, upon establishing the financial position, from an insider's point of view, our efforts have been centred on planning for fiscal sustainability and fiscal soundness in these unprecedented times.   

We have spent the last two months rejiggering the budget to mitigate unforeseeable risks and put the country on a trajectory of growth as global efforts take us to the other side of this pandemic.

To this end, the Fiscal Strategic Policy Statement (FSPS) for the period 2021/22 to 2024/25 within two short months have been greenlighted by the UK and laid on the table of the House of Assembly of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday 29 April 2021. 

The approved FSPS is the basis upon which the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for financial year 2021-22 will be prepared.  At this juncture we are on target to deliver the budget by the end of June with an additional $48 million in new spending, details of which I will provide later in this presentation. 

The overall outturn of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government fiscal performance has been better than expected when the budget was last revised.  This is due to improvement in revenue collection in the final quarter of the year as well as reduction in expenditure for the year. 

Turks and Caicos Islands Government was able to end the fiscal year 2020/2021 with a lower-than-expected operating deficit. The total deficit for the financial year was $93.0M after debt repayment.  This deficit was funded from the cash reserves.  

The last quarter’s actuals outperformed estimates, negating an early trigger to draw down on funds from the $80M facility negotiated with Republic Bank.  Because of that, the requirement to negotiate the restructuring of that facility for a larger facility is no longer necessary.  

First 50 days Achievement. 

Reprioritise the Capital Budget 

The Government has spent considerable time prioritizing and reprioritizing the capital budget it inherited to conform to its agenda for the infrastructure and social development of the islands and people. It presented those changes in a supplementary appropriation bill in March 2021.  

Executed - Pandemic Relief Package 

Immediately after the elections, my Government put in place arrangements to deliver on its promise to provide relief for our people struggling with the health, social and economic ravages of the pandemic.  As promised, we have: 

• Removed import tariff from all essential supplies used for sanitation, hygiene, and safety purposes, including PPEs. 
• Accelerated the widespread distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, aimed at near universal coverage by the end of August 2021. 
• Partnered with the private sector to encourage and enforce safe work environments. 
• Recast the budget and put more support towards social and life enhancing measures to ensure that those in need are receiving the help they need to stay healthy and safe.  
• Conducted stakeholders’ meetings both virtually and face-to-face to ensure that all stakeholders are brought into the decision-making process on all matters that will impact them.   
• Suspended the requirement for our people to be NIB, NHIB and TCIG compliant with their obligations to qualify for COVID-19 induced financial assistance.  

Every Turks and Caicos Islander impacted will continue to be assisted at the maximum level affordable. 

The public has been constantly briefed by the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.  The confluence of the availability of vaccines, the hard work of the entire public health team and the management of the opening of the islands, among others, has resulted in a drastic decrease in the infections rate positioning and the imminent removal of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government from the high travel risk category. 

At the same time, we have managed to relax restrictions on internal movements and gatherings and keep our ports open.  As a result, TCI is experiencing a significant uplift in visitor arrivals which bodes positively for our economic recovery.  

Open Schools Safely 

• Schools have been open across the islands and process and protocol to facilitate learning while protecting teachers and students are in place.
• Increased budgetary allocations for early childhood learning is being provided for in the upcoming budget. 

The Minister of Education has been providing regular briefings on the operations of the schools and will continue to do so until we are on the other side of the pandemic.  

Stimulus Package 

We imagine a Turks and Caicos Islands beyond the pandemic in which our people must emerge healthy, and businesses can once again thrive. In order to sustain life and livelihood we have provided a stimulus package of $15 million of which $13.7million has been approved for distribution at the end of April; most of which has already been distributed.  We recognise that this provides only limited relief and will continue to explore new programmes to help the most vulnerable in our society. To facilitate all qualified persons who have not yet collected their stimulus cheques, my Government agreed to: 

• the extension of the cheque collection deadline until June 30 
• the home delivery of cheques to the incapacitated applicants; and 
• the amendment to the identification criteria for persons over 70 years of age.  

Other Reliefs 

Other economic relief so far includes massive write-offs of NIB and NHIB interest and penalties for contributors of all categories.  Cabinet has also recently approved the waiver of accumulated storage fees at the Turks and Caicos Islands Government warehouse, up to the end of March 2021.  

We have implemented most of the measures listed under the action plans for pandemic management, including duty free concession on cleaning, hygiene, and sanitation items. 

Free Status Cards 

Status cards can now be obtained free of charge and reforms are winding its way through the system to simplify the processing of critical documents including: drivers’ licences, police records and birth certificates as your government convert to a service delivery culture through e-governance. 

Institution Building 

The Progressive National Party, when in government, has a track record of institution building.  This administration came to office with several planned initiatives to build on that legacy.  As such, we are working with key stakeholders including the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), financial services industry actors, the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), the World Congress of Credit Union, internal and external stakeholders in travel and tourism, as well as others, to fast tract the establishment of the following institutions promised in the Citizen’s Contract:  

• The TCI Inland Revenue Authority – TIRA  
• TCI Financial Services Promotion Agency (TCI-FSPA).  
• TCI Development Finance Company (TCI-DFC) 
• Plans are underway to retool and upgrade Invest TCI to deliver on its purpose as front door facilitator for investment from all sources.  

Since March 2021, the Agency: Invest Turks and Caicos, has received two new proposals for projects valued at some $48m that will begin to spread development across the archipelago. 

• Tourism Turks and Caicos Islands – a destination management organisation aimed at achieving stakeholder synergy, collaboration, and best practice in the management of tourism dependent destinations. 
• Public Service Credit Union 

Other Initiatives 

Other projects promised in the Citizen’s Contract for which work has been initiated includes the transition from a paper system to e-Governance.  We are currently assessing the IT system, structures, and inventory of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and its statutory bodies to determine the best way forward.  

In March 2021, the Revenue Department launched its online business licence application and renewal process.   

Work is ongoing to merge the compliance and collection activities of the NIB and the NHIB as the first candidates for TCI integrated e-governance platform. 

New Spending Initiatives 

Other notable actions: 

Appointments of statutory body boards have largely been completed.  

I have arranged to meet with Carnival Corporation executive later on Monday, 3rd May to discuss the Turks and Caicos Islands Government partnership with the organisation and commitments to enhance the Grand Turk tourism sector. 

A letter was sent to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for approval on the introduction of an eight Ministry. That letter was received and approval granted. More information on this is forthcoming.